L.A. Hosts AFCI Locations Show

The Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) recently held their annual Locations Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Film commissioners flew in from across the globe to provide attendees with information regarding the funds, financial incentives and services essential for film and television production.

The Show held conference sessions, panel discussions, mentoring roundtables, and social events where industry professionals were updated on today’s competitive international market. A highlight of this year’s event was “TheGrill,” TheWrap’s high-level conference where leaders in film financing and global production led a full day of thought-provoking conversations moderated by TheWrap’s Editor-in-Chief Sharon Waxman. “Hosting TheGrill was very informative for a lot of our attendees because of the conference’s focus on China this year,” explains AFCI Executive Director Kevin Clark. On the show floor, film commissioners representing a wide array of locations worldwide showcased what their regions have to offer. Iceland Film Commissioner Einar Tomasson praised his country’s great locations, outstanding crew, film-friendly environment and 20-percent production incentives. He noted that Iceland’s atmosphere is conducive to filming because it continually accommodates a steady stream of production. “We have a great track record,” boasted Tomasson. “Big features are coming to Iceland and having a blast.” Lee Thomas, the director at Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment, reported that her state has also had a good amount of filming, which has helped to build the infrastructure and crew base. “We’re [at the Locations Show] to reconnect with people that we’ve been doing business with in the past and to tell people about our great incentives and locations,” said Thomas. “[Georgia also has] diversified locations, ease of access [and] tempered climate. It’s the whole package.”

Entertainment Partners’ George Lakes appreciates what the Location Show provides for attendees. “With incentives becoming more prevalent, it’s good to have all the locations in one place so you can get an idea of what they have to offer,” he said. Other representatives from the entertainment industry were also happy that the Show was in town. Producer Billy Fox walked the floor with an author for his next film project and a specific agenda to see the Ohio Film Commission. Art Berkowitz from Creative Concepts was also pleased with the event. “[The AFCI] do a great job,” said Berkowitz, who collected information for upcoming projects. “I find it very informative, and it’s nice to meet people.”

The big news from the Locations Show was the announcement that the next AFCI Cineposium will be held in Jecheon City, Korea on September 29 to October 2, 2013. “Asia is a growing market,” said Kevin Chang of South Korea’s Cheongpung Film Commission. “They want to encourage more ongoing projects between the United States and Asia. We have to create a lot of opportunities for coproduction.” With this in mind, the Korean government is going to provide plane fare for many of the U.S. film commissions traveling to Korea for the event.